The Alnwick Garden
T eam
Meet The
Phil Haynes
We caught up with Phil Haynes, our very own shopaholic.
Words: Phil Haynes, Retail Buying Consultant
I
was born at home in Hepburn, Tyne & Wear, in
1968; it wasn’t my home, it belonged to my Mum
and Dad, I was too young to have my own house
back then!
I have two beautiful children, Matthew and Emily,
and a very supportive partner in Kate; we live in
Kirklevington, which is a little village just outside of
Yarm.
I started working in retail directly after leaving
school, as a full time training scheme employee
(earning 88p per hour!!) for the Sears Group; I
worked my way through the ranks, becoming the
youngest Area Manager, covering the North of
England, Scotland and Ireland.
I entered the world of procurement at the age of 21,
formally trained by the GAP Partnership and
progressed through the ranks to become a Buying
and Merchandise Controller within the National
Multiple Retailer. Since then I have held various
Marketing, Sales and Retail Directorships.
I originally joined The Garden 7 years ago to oversee
the range selection in the Gift Shop; also to improve
the measurement, management and performance of
the area. The most difficult part of buying is to isolate
and ignore personal preference, and buy for a given
target market. I always explore local supply options
as a first port of call, but sometimes that is not a
viable option; including The Christmas Retail offer,
46% of shop sales are from produce sold from local
suppliers and artisans.
The Garden is a magical place, and I like nothing
more, when I can get a 10 minute break from my
duties, than to watch and listen to our visitors. I love
the fact that The Garden is a beautiful place, thanks
to Trevor Jones and his team, but more importantly
acts as the catalyst for families to spend time
together. Not sure if I am just getting old (no need
to answer that), but life just seems to be lived at a
million miles per hour; people sometimes need to
stop and cherish the friends and family that surround
them, but can never find the time to spend with
them.
The most poignant part of The Garden for me is The
Cherry Orchard; the cherry blossom represents the
fragility of life in Japanese culture, a stark reminder
of our own mortality, and the necessity to take time
to enjoy life.
The great thing with The Garden is that it is ever
changing, transforming from season to season, and
accessible for all; we do not discriminate and provide
a warm welcome to all.
The real driver for me is the work that the charity
team do; whether it’s reaching out to the isolated
elderly, engaging children with additional needs, ed-
ucating children about the effect of drugs, using The
Poison Garden as a unique way to convey this very
important message, or encouraging and guiding local
young entrepreneurs. The team work tirelessly to
ensure a good time is had by all, in a safe, welcoming
and beautiful location.
I am heavily involved with the Christmas activities
and events, working with the team throughout the
year, to ensure The Alnwick Garden will one day
become the Christmas destination for the north of
England.
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